


The Sweetest of the Sweet Commanders

by DreamEffect



Category: One Piece
Genre: :(, Betrayal, Big Brother Charlotte Katakuri, Blackmail, Canon-Typical Violence, Confectionery, Cooking, Cute, Did I mention I miss mochi boi, F/M, Fluff, Just katakuri buying her pastries, Mochi boi is in his 20s ok, POV First Person, Slow Burn, i need my wholesom mochi boi ok, idfk tbh, its 5 am and i miss mochi boi, just wholesome, katakuri is soft, like really cute im cringing, scary stuff too tho, self-insert? maybe?, sweets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2020-04-06 03:25:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19054279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamEffect/pseuds/DreamEffect
Summary: Stuck on Komugi Island, where her confectionery is steadily declining, Amaris suddenly gets commissioned to bake 300 pastries in one day. And by none other than the governor of the land, second son of the Big Mom Family, one of the Sweet Commanders and generally intimidating pirate, Charlotte Katakuri.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> SO i know mochi boi is like 16 ft tall, but like,,, thats a bit too tall, let's just pretend he's like 6'8 ok pls thank you. wrote this half awake so if theres mistakes, theres mistakes. I think I might actually continue this, but tbh who knows. knowing my lonely ass i probably will
> 
> the dessert is a real thing called Ras Malai, really good try it if u get the chance.
> 
> how many synonyms of pastry did i cycle through

I sighed.

Business was slow as usual. Being the owner of a small confectionery shop on an isolated street, this was to be expected. Not to mention, we were on an island literally made out of sweets, so why would anyone come to a no-name business like mine when there were so many other options?

Making sweets was a family passion. After my ancestors traveled the world developing their recipes, they eventually settled in Totto land, also known as Big Mom's territory. Apparently they thought they would learn more about desserts by living on a dessert, but all I can attest to is the fact that there is no demand for confectioneries here. Which is to say, I'd rather be selling sweets literally anywhere else. Thing is, leaving Big Mom's territory usually comes with some added baggage if you're just a citizen, so for the sake of my life, I'm stuck here.

If this goes on, I might have to abandon my family’s business and work for someone else just to sustain a living. For the thousandth time that day, I sighed.

The chimes on the store entrance brought me out of my daydream, and a tall man with fuchsia hair walked in. It would be a lie if he didn't intimidate me a little, after all, he was only wearing dark pants with spikes, a leather jacket that conveniently exposed his abs, and a scarf that covered his face nose down. Oh, and he stood nearly a foot taller than me. All in all, he gave me the impression that if he didn't leave my humble establishment happy, there would no longer be an establishment.

“Ah, welcome!” I stood up straight and brought out the brightest smile I could manage. “How can I help you today?”

He didn’t answer, barely sparing me a glance, instead turning his gaze to the display case that held today's pastries. Taking the hint, I let him browse in silence, hoping he wouldn't kill me. It was nothing new in the New World, where even the smallest of disagreements could warrant a death sentence.

Finally, he turned to me, pointing at one of my original recipes. “What is this?”

Oh no. Of all the ones he could've asked about-

“Oh, that's a little experiment I did. It’s like a cheesecake, but without the crust, rolled into balls and soaked in flavored sweet milk.” I had to stop myself from ranting about how long it took to find a consistency that would work, as well as the countless failed tries. When the man remained silent, the threatening aura surrounding him made me speak up. “D-Do you want a sample?”

_Please say no, please say no please-_

He nodded. _Great_. I nervously handed him a spoon and the dish, not knowing what to expect. Usually, I'd give customers a spoonful only, but at this point, I'd rather he doesn't kill me.

He accepted the plate and promptly turned around so his back was facing me.

_Um, what?_

Then I realized. He doesn’t want me to see his face. So I won't know if he likes it or hates it until he turns around, huh?

_Cruel_. I sobbed inwardly.

What felt like years really just lasted maybe a second, where he gulped the pastry down and slowly turned to me with a murderous glint in his eyes.

I couldn’t help but flinch. He was looking straight at me, and in that moment where I was unable to look away from him, in addition to feeling like a prey backed into a corner, my mind started reeling at how absolutely breathtaking the man was. I mean, sure, half his face was covered, but he had pretty eyes. And extraordinary abs.

“Prepare 300 of these by tomorrow.”

By the time his low voice snapped me back to reality, he was already heading towards the door.

“Uh, wait, uh, can I get a name for your order?” My head was in confusion, trying to calculate how many berries I would make from 300 pastry sales. Can he even afford that? "Is it for an event? Would you want more variety- or special decorations? And-" I rambled on endlessly. How many hours of sleep would I lose in making 300 pastries in one day? Wait, he liked my pastry enough to order 300 of them??

By the time I realized it, the man had walked back, once again effectively silencing me with his intense gaze as he leaned over the counter.

"Put the order under Charlotte Katakuri. As for the rest, it doesn’t matter." Somehow his deep voice immediately calmed me down from my frenzied state.

"A-Alright then." I trailed off, unable to believe I had to make 300 pastries. He took his leave, satisfied with my answer as I thought over what just happened.

I wouldn’t have to worry about bills for quite a while now. I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face at the thought of the man that practically saved my business single-handedly. And his abs.

_Wait a minute._

Charlotte... Katakuri...?

_Holy crap._

How could I forget that name?

Charlotte Katakuri. The second son of The Charlotte family, one of the Three Sweet Commanders, Minister of Flour, and Governor of Komugi Island. Said to have over a billion Berry bounty, blessed with the powers of the Mochi-Mochi devil fruit, and feared by everyone for his general demeanor. All in all, terrifying.

_Well, he didn't kill me. Yet_.

Better get on making those 300 pastries then.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why did this get so much traction;;;;; idk wtf is going on this story. Also its really hard to write a character that can see a few moments into the future :)))))) Might be a lil ooc for katakuri? I hope yall still like it rip 
> 
> also calling him "Katakuri-sama" was really awkward , so I had to make do with "Mr. Katakuri" dhfjsjdfhs hope its not too bad i tried to keep it to a minimum >_> lmk what you think!!!

So, as it turns out, trying to make 300 pastries in a day was a bit much. Nonetheless, the fear of angering a Sweet Commander drove away any weariness that overcame me, and by early morning, I actually managed to fulfill his order.

And sure enough, not an hour after I finished sorting the bags of pastries into boxes, the chimes rang out, signalling the arrival of my savior.

I greeted Mr. Katakuri with a tired smile. “Hi! I have your order of 300 pastries ready here.”

He paused at the entrance, glancing over me. He could probably tell I overworked myself, but oh well, looks aside, money is what matters! If he noticed my ragged state, he didn’t say anything about it, moving straight to hand me a large sack of Berries. “Here’s your payment.”

While I was preoccupied with checking the bag to see it was the correct amount, Mr. Katakuri took in the state of the restaurant. 

“You’re not setting up display today.” He observed quietly. Everyday, I would sweep the floor and take extra care to create a welcoming atmosphere for customers. But, today was not most days and I barely managed to make the place look presentable enough for the pick up. I didnt even unstack the chairs that sat in the corner of the room. Heck, I wouldn't have even turned on the lights had I not tripped over the rug and nearly destroyed a box of sweets.

I wasn’t sure if it was a question, but I decided to answer anyway. “Yes, I spent all of yesterday making the pastries, so I didn’t have time to prepare desserts for today. I’ll just take the day off.” and take a well deserved nap!

When I looked up to smile at him, I was slightly confused to see a half-eaten sweet in his hand. But, his scarf was still covering his mouth, so how was he eating it??

Mr. Katakuri furrowed his eyebrows. “That’s unfortunate. I wanted to take a look at your other items today.”

What- oh no, is he angry? I could always take him to the freezer and show him yesterday’s goods, but I doubt a Sweet Commander would be happy with leftovers. Besides, after all that work I put into making those pastries, it’s the least I deserve to just get my money and rest. As I stared at him, trying to figure out how to respond, he continued.

“Then, I’ll be back tomorrow to see the rest of your menu.” He said, picking up the three boxes of his order and heading to the door.

"Uh, wait, tomorrow?" Knowing how exhausted I was, I wouldn’t have anything ready for display tomorrow. In my slight panic, I reached out to stop him, grabbing his arm and halting him in the process.

Oh crap. I just grabbed a Big Mom Pirate’s arm. He could kill me for that.

But to my surprise, he just nodded. "I’ll return in a week then."

And with that, he left just as quickly as he came, with all 300 sweets in tow.

That… was strangely more exhausting than staying up all night making sweets. Anyways, now I have something worse to look forward to.

_ A week? This is clearly a test. Does he want 300 of every item I usually put on display??  _ I had to clear my mind and tell myself to not overthink it. There’s no way he’d like  _ everything _ on my menu, right? Right.

  
  


\----

  
  


_ Wrong. I was completely wrong. _ Of course, I should’ve seen this coming. I slapped myself internally for not thinking that this man would devour literally  _ everything  _ I made.

He came back a week after my initial 300 sales, just as promised. And now, he was seated in my store, eating the last of the desserts from my entire stock of products.

I even made extras since I thought he might want more, but those are all gone too. Heck, he even told me to bring leftovers from the day before.

_ Do you have a black hole for a stomach????  _ I wanted to cry.

But really, after having barely anyone eat my desserts for months on end, seeing someone truly enjoy my cooking really did make me want to cry. That, and given the fact I had finally realized that sustaining a dying business on my own was no longer possible, it made me feel like I hadn’t let down my ancestors’ legacy.

_ He!! Likes!!! My!! Sweets!!!! Mom, Dad, I’ve made it!!  _

Cooking for the Charlotte family was the biggest honor a chef in Totto Land could ever hope to get. Notorious for their hard-to-please taste buds, as well as the fact that they’re all powerful enough to easily kill you if angered, being able to satisfy them meant you were a blessed chef.

Sure, it was weird that he would only eat while I was turned away, but I could understand not wanting a stranger to watch you eat. Although, I desperately wanted to see his reactions to my cooking, I turned away to give him his privacy once I noticed his reluctance. In the end, it was enough that he continued to ask for more and my heart swelled with pride at the indirect compliments he was showering upon me.

I willed myself to not cry, and held on pretty well until I heard him put his spoon down and saw that he had finally cleared out my entire stock. Of course, his scarf was still covering his face, but I couldn’t bring myself to wonder about it.

“That was a good meal.” I heard him mutter under his breath.

And that was the last straw. As tears started pouring out of my eyes, I quickly turned around and bowed to him, hoping that he wouldn't notice. “T-Thank you for saying so. I apologize for not having more in stock.” Gosh the tears were really affecting my voice. 

“Are you crying?”  _ Ugh, the dreaded words. _ He wouldn’t kill me for crying, right?

I stared at my shaking hands through eyes blurred by tears, hoping he would ignore it. "I apologize. Its just- its been awhile since someone ate here, and w-well, since its my last day with this shop, I-”  _ Oh man, I’m rambling. _

“You’re closing down?” There was an unexpected sense of surprise in his voice that made me look up to meet his gaze. The oddly tender look, coming from Charlotte Katakuri - a man said to have torn apart men limb by limb and not bat an eyelash - made me slightly anxious, to say the least.

His eyes bore into me as though expecting an explanation. “W-well, the store hasn't been doing too good. The money I made from last time was a lot, but I was already in debt, and considering how business was going…” I couldn’t bring myself to vocalize the state of the store. “I had always wanted to be a patissier, but I decided it would be best to stop while I still own my life.” I offered him a weak smile as his brow furrowed.

“You're not making sweets anymore?” If my eyes weren’t so blurry, I’d say Mr. Katakuri actually looked sad about that. Then again, his expression was impossible to decipher when half of his face was covered by that scarf.

_ I guess the shock of a Charlotte taking interest in my personal life stopped my tears, _ I thought to myself as I rubbed the remnants away. “Yes, I don't have any other choice. Though, I found a nice job as a receptionist right across the road, so it's not all bad. Better than being captured by those loan sharks and being sold into slavery, at least.” I muttered the last sentence under my breath, unable to hide how I felt about those assholes.

Mr Katakuri looked away, as though contemplating something. I probably said too much. Mother did always say I had a tendency to overspeak. But then, I heard the most unexpected words from him.

“Do you… want to work at my mansion?”

I blinked. Uh, I misheard him right? “I'm sorry, could you repeat that?” I offered him a bright smile.

“Come be a chef at my mansion.” Right see, there's no way-

“You’re kidding.” I breathed. Was this real? “Doesn’t the mansion have some of the best chefs around??” He wants me to compete with professionals??

“Certainly, my chefs are talented when it comes to any kind of dish, however for the past few months, their desserts have been… lackluster.” Just the way he turned his gaze to me had my cheeks turning red in embarrassment. “I’ve found myself craving your sweets endlessly since last week.”

If my face was red before, I was practically on fire now.  _ He’s just complimenting my cooking, not making moves on me!! Why am I blushing??  _ “O-oh.” I answered weakly.

“Do you agree then?” Was it just me or was there a hint of a smile in his voice just then? Given the scarf, there was no way to tell.

In my stupor, I nearly agreed, but then I caught myself. As enticing as it sounds, I didn't have the confidence in my abilities to provide more than 50 desserts for every meal every day. That, and he could easily crush me if I made the slightest mistake. Oh and lets not forget he has pretty eyes that are very distracting. “The mansion is very far from where I live-”

He cut me off. “There are many unused rooms in my mansion.”

I couldn’t help the shudder that ran down my spine at the thought of the rent at the Charlotte's mansion. “T-Thank you, but I can’t-”

“You’ll be staying there for free, of course.”  _ Wait did he just read my mind? _ As I gaped at him, he eyed me like he was enjoying my reaction. “Monthly pay, free housing, and,” his gaze softened back to that tender look that made me question why heart was beating so fast “You’ll be doing what you love.”

I took a deep breath in. That was pretty convincing. I couldn't think of any other valid reason to decline, and so, with a rapidly beating heart, I answered him, hoping I wasn’t making a big mistake.

“I am forever indebted to your generosity.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> umm? its 2 am wut is happening  
> Katakuri is a bad boi n stuff  
> oh and mayb i have a plot now?  
> (mentions of slavery so uh, yeah. nothing explicit tho)

Charlotte Katakuri was not someone who often made mistakes. Infact, he prided himself on being perfect in every aspect. A perfect son, a perfect brother, a perfect soldier, a perfect leader. Having never tasted defeat in battle, his very name struck fear in friend and foe alike. Combined with his strict demeanor and strong haki that commanded respect wherever he went, Katakuri had no discernable weakness. A man such as he to make a mistake was unthinkable.

And yet he could only think about the past interaction with that patissier as a mistake.

Ever since he wandered into her little confectionery in the recesses of an unpopular street, he felt something was off. First of all, he couldn’t stop craving her desserts. Alone, that wouldn’t be a problem, but when it got to the point where he was unable to stomach his own chefs’ cooking anymore, he suspected a drug or foul play at hand. However once he inspected a few of the 300 sweets he had unceremoniously purchased, he realized he was wrong. It was hard to believe, but they were just that good.

During his week long mission where he was off the island, Katakuri anxiously awaited his return for that reason alone. At his return, he didn’t even report to Big Mom, and instead went straight to her shop. And in his haste to sate his craving, he made his biggest mistake yet.

He ate in front of her.

That said, her lack of response meant she didn’t see his face. By the time he realized he had let down his guard, Katakuri decided she couldn’t pose a threat even if she did. If he had to kill her, he would, but it would be great loss of talent in the culinary field.

His visit this morning had proved it. Anything she made had a distinct taste, even the well-known desserts that could be found all over the island. When he asked his chefs to recreate her dish, they were unable to achieve even a similar consistency let alone taste. It couldn’t be helped that when he heard she was planning to abandon her talents, a part of him panicked, thinking he wouldn’t get to taste her cooking ever again. Of course he would offer her work as his personal chef. Wanting to cultivate such raw skill was a natural course of action.

Yet still. Something felt wrong.

‘You’ll be doing what you love’, was it? Where the hell did he learn to say such things? Katakuri sighed under his breath. Mistake after mistake… 

“P-please…” came a voice from his feet. Glancing downwards, Katakrui’s cold eyes fell on the man he had buried in mochi a few minutes prior. Katakuri crossed his legs, watching impassively as the man tried to reach out, slowly slipping in and out of consciousness. Unfortunately, the mochi that now covered the entire room held him down, along with numerous other unmoving bodies.

Katakuri’s eyes narrowed. Had he been so lost in thought that he didn’t even notice the man had regained consciousness? No matter. He had things to deal with.

“Name your leader.” There was one thing he came here for. Tragically, none of the dozen or so men were able to put up a fight and he had to waste time waiting for one of them to wake up to begin questioning.

“Wh-Wha-?” The man slurred with a weak voice as he struggled under the hold of the mochi.

Usually, such impudence would be met with some distasteful actions, but Katakuri was running impatient. “Forcing citizens of Totto Land into slavery is illegal. Surely you knew that once you were found, you would be executed.” Especially on  _ his _ island.

“No, I-I-” The man sputtered out, squirming uncomfortably.

_ “I don’t know his name” _ would be his eventual response.

“Then die.” Katakuri didn’t even have to lift a finger for the mochi to engulf the man, subduing his movements and silencing his screams as mochi filled his lungs.

Katakuri had already done his investigation around the hideout. Knowing the time and location of the next slave ship would have to do for now. He would have to thank that patissier for bringing this to his attention.

_ What did she say her name was? Amaris? _

He just got back to Totto Land and already felt exhausted. And he still hadn’t reported to Big Mom yet. It was just work after work.

Through all his weariness, Katakuri found himself looking forward to one thing. Amaris’ cooking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> needed to get mochi boi back in character lmao  
> lmk what you think pls i need validation  
> sorry for the short chapter but i've been busy :(


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amaris starts her first day at her new job, with a few unexpected obstacles bearing their teeth at her.

I stared at the giant imposing doors in front of me that blocked my path into Mr. Katakuri's mansion. It was smaller than I expected, but still easily the biggest building on Komugi island. My palms started sweating with anticipation and suddenly I wanted to be anywhere but here. It felt like a dream that I was actually standing outside the Governor’s mansion. The extravagance of the building was putting me on edge.

Just a few hours ago I had said goodbye to the small street my shop was on, all my neighbors wishing me well. I promised I’d visit but the five hour journey meant that I couldn’t go back very often. Of course, I would still have to make the trip once every week to keep tabs on my store.

Honestly, it was a miracle that I convinced Mr. Katakuri to _not_ rent out the room in his mansion for free and rather for a part of my salary. It just didn’t feel right to receive so much in return for pretty much nothing. I took solace in the fact that one day I’d be able to return to my store and go back to the way things were.

The doors suddenly opened, snapping me out of my thoughts as a woman with magenta hair pulled into a tight bun greeted me. “You must be Ms. Hurst.” Her eyes quickly took in my form, her face expressionless.

“Yes! Just Amaris is okay!” I quickly bowed.

“We’ve been expecting you, Amaris. It’s not often the Young Master hires a chef himself.” _Young Master ? Well, he is the governor, I guess._

“My name is Jeanette. I’m the head maid. I’ll show you to your room.” She opened the door wider and gestured inside.

“Yes.” I answered meekly, following the woman as she guided me. She seemed nice. Maybe I was getting worked up for no reason. She gestured to one set of very large doors, pointing it out as _The Young Master’s_ room.

“And this will be your living quarters. There is a toilet at the end of the hall.” The room itself was quite spacious, with a normal bed, closet and a small table to the side.

I put my things down. “Is anyone else living at the mansion?” I really hoped I would have some company besides him.

“They all live in the Candy Heart district.” _Ah yes, the fancy rich people area._ “Usually, the Young Master spends the weekends at Whole Cake Island to attend the weekly family meetings. He is also often absent due to missions on other islands. Those days you are free to do as you please.”

So that means I'll be spending most five out of seven nights under one roof with him. I wasn't sure if my nervousness at the thought stemmed from fear or… something else.

Jeanette continued, oblivious to my inner turmoil. “On days that the Young Master is present, chefs make around twenty servings of desserts with every meal. Additionally, special cakes and desserts are required for tea time at precisely one in the afternoon and five in the evening, every day, without fail.”

 _That’s a lot of desserts_. I suddenly flashbacked to the day I made three hundred desserts for him and quickly pushed the thought to the back of my mind. Let’s not complain just yet.

“Let me show you to the kitchen.” Jeanette led me downstairs, but we stopped as two figures appeared at the door… or wait, isn’t that a mirror?

It was Mr. Katakuri and a tall woman with long limbs and equally long purple hair. She had sharp eyes and a rather large nose, but taking up most of my attention was the grotesque scar across her face that made me wince. What kind of accident would cause such an injury?

“Ah, Young Master, Madam Brûlée. You’ve returned.” Jeanette bowed, so I followed her. _Madam_ __Brû_ lée? _   _A daughter of the Charlotte family maybe?_

Mr. Katakuri hummed dismissively, his eyes falling on me. “You’re here.”

I smiled nervously. “Yes, I just got here a while ago.”

“Ah, you must be the chef I’ve heard so much about.” Brûlée's eyes narrowed on me, her hands resting on her hips.

“Yes?” I kept my smile professional. I guess Mr. Katakuri mentioned me? Anyways, she didn’t look impressed.

“Since it's nearly tea time, I'd like you to bring me a cup of tea.”

 _? Okay?_ “What kind do you usually drink?”

Her mouth quirked into a smile that I wouldn't exactly call _friendly_. “Surprise me.”

_Ooh, this is definitely a test._

“Brûlée.” Came Mr. Katakuri's subtle warning, but he was a second too late as I steeled myself.

“I will do my best then.” My smile brightened. Customer service was always my first priority.

After the two made their way to the giant doors, Jeanette led me to the kitchen.

The first thing I noticed was the sheer size of the room. Geez, it was bigger than my entire store. There were around a dozen or so people working busily away at what was to be _The Young Master’s_ next meal. There were already several top grade dishes piling on one side of the room, and yet they were still going at it.

Then came the glances that quickly turned into ice cold stares as each pair of eyes fell on me. Some ignored me entirely, while others abandoned their work to bore into me. The chill I felt go down my spine was not unwarranted. My earlier confidence quickly plummeted as a murderous glint shone in their eyes, eyeing me like I was a threat.

That’s fair, I guess. Mr. Katakuri did say he didn’t enjoy their cooking for the past few days. They probably see me as competition. I forced myself to breathe, to not be intimidated by professionals who were handpicked for this job.

I did my best to ignore them, clenching and unclenching my fists as Jeanette gave me a quick layout of the room. After a few minutes, the stares seemed to ease down as most returned to their work, although I still got a few cold shoulders.

“Then I’ll leave you to get started on Madam Brûlée’s tea. When you’re done, bring the food trolley in the corner of the room to the Young Master’s room.” Whatever peace had fallen in those few minutes quickly vanished as I heard quiet snickers around the room.

I sighed under my breath and thanked Jeanette as she left the room. _Definitely a test._

Taking a look around, I quickly assessed my best course of action. Based on the other chefs’ reactions, it would seem at best Brûlée enjoys a very specific brand of tea, or at worst… Well, let’s not think about that.

If the first was true, there was no way I’d figure out which brand it was, especially if it was an expensive imported type that I couldn't even dream of tasting. So either way, I was just fighting a losing battle. Which meant there was only one thing that could win her over.

 

\--------

 

“You’ve been staring daggers into me for a while now.” Brûlée sighed. “What's bothering you, brother?”

“You know what’s bothering me.” Katakuri rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath. “You don’t even like tea.”

“I was just welcoming her.” Brûlée laughed. “Besides, I wanted to see if what you said about her is true. There’s no way everything she makes is delicious.”

"Don't doubt your older brother." Katakuri huffed in response, at which Brûlée's smile only widened.

Their conversation was cut short by a knock on the door.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> July's been a tough month for me haha and my school's starting soon so updates wont be consistent (not that they were before lol)  
> Also Idk if Brûlée doesnt like tea, its just a thing I came up with to make things interesting. And sorry if the whole "young master" and "Mr. Katakuri" thing gets annoying lmao I promise it ends soon  
> As always thank you for reading and feel free to drop a comment~


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amaris executes a flawless plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yall this was a mistake I realized I know nothing about cooking. Anyways, I hope you're excited for some tea!!!! literal tea. This is based off of a real thing called Kashmiri Chai that is a pink colored tea, its very pretty!!! Idk how surprising this would be in the world of one piece, but its too late now oh well  
> Dont know how I feel about this one but bear with me guys I'm really sick atm :(  
> As always, thank you for reading!! I'm happy to know other people are also missing mochi boi with me and sorry I decided to make this a slow burn LOL

I knocked on the door, dread already setting in. I was already 10 minutes late to tea time and it was only my first day. “ _One in the afternoon sharp_.” Jeanette’s words echoed in my head as I tried to shake off the nervous feeling.

So much for doing my best with the tea, they might kick me out for just keeping them waiting. Unfortunately, I couldn’t wallow in my misery any longer as I heard Mr. Katakuri utter one word.

"Enter."

Taking a deep breath in, I pushed open the doors and pulled on the large food trolley behind me. Thankfully, it wasn’t too heavy and rolled smoothly along the marble floor.

If I wasn’t so utterly terrified of the two seated comfortably on the sofas, I would’ve been shocked at the absolute scale of the massive room and pretty much everything in it. Though, it was pretty fitting for a man of his size.

As nervous as I was, I kept my hands steady as I placed each of the dishes on the table in between the two. Looking back, I was thankful my parents allowed me to work occasionally as a server in addition to being a chef. Appearances mattered after all, and even the placement of dishes was vital to the actual meal.

Finally, I placed two delicate teacups with tiny rose decals in front of them. "Here you go, Madam Brûlée."

"Just Brûlée is fine."

"Brûlée, then." _Here goes nothing._ Picking up the matching teapot, I took a deep breath in and began pouring the tea out.

“Oh?” Brûlée tilted her head at the pink liquid that settled in her cup, observing it carefully. “This is the tea?”

“Yes.” I put on my best professional smile, trying to hide my unease. “It’s made from a type of herb from my hometown that produces a pink hue when boiled a certain way.” The super complicated process was in fact the reason for my delay _._ The fact that it was from a small island in the East Blue means there was a high chance she’s never tasted anything like it before, which meant intrigue alone could mesmerize her. “It has a naturally sweet and slightly bitter taste, but you can add more sugar to your preference.”

I should stop talking before I start rambling about the perfect ratio of sugar to tea.

Brûlée seemed excited, swirling a spoon in the cup as she beamed at me. “A family recipe?”

I felt myself relax at her response. After the intense moments I spent in the kitchen with strangers that wanted to kill me, I really appreciated her friendliness. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.” Funny how some plant is the last thing connecting me to my ancestors.

“It smells wonderful.” I watched anxiously as she elegantly took a sip of the tea. Her eyes opened in surprise, suddenly looking up at Mr. Katakuri. When he raised his eyebrows in a silent question, she turned to me with her mouth agape.

_D-Did she not like it?_

“Well?” Came Mr. Katakuri’s impatient voice.

“There’s no way.” Was her only answer as she took another sip.

_What?_

“I told you so.” Mr. Katakuri somehow sounded smug.

_Wow, these two are really getting on my nerves._ “So…” I watched Brûlée sigh contentedly, seeming to savor the taste. “Does that mean…” I trailed off, unable to finish my sentence.

“It’s good.” He answered for her. I turned to him at the sound of his voice and our eyes met. There was a hint of a smile in his eyes, a familiar softness that reminded me of when he offered me this job, but it was gone pretty much as soon as I noticed it.

I blinked at him. _Did I imagine that?_

“I’m surprised!” Brûlée’s cheerful voice snapped me out of my thoughts. “I actually don’t like most teas, but this is amazing.”

“Wait, really?” After being nervous for so long, I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. _She liked it!!!_

"So, which of these did you make?" She excitedly leaned over the sweets displayed in front of her.

"Uh, that plate of cookies over there. It's nothing much, but it was all I could make this morning." I was embarrassed at the sight of the hideously normal looking dish surrounded by dozens of luxurious and fancy desserts.

As she bit into a cookie, her face brightened up again. "Oh my!" She took another bite."A special ingredient?" She seemed to be thinking while munching.

"Uh, no, those are just normal chocolate chip cookies." If I had a special ingredient, I wouldn’t have to ever worry about my business again. What a dream.

"So?"

"Yes yes, Brother, you were right." She muttered and glared at him. "I can't believe you kept her a secret this whole time."

"Then don't doubt me next time." There was a hint of a smile in his voice.

_Brother? Huh, I guess Brûlée is a Charlotte too then._ I never thought about the two's relationship until now, but they seemed like they were close. Somehow, it brought a smile to my face seeing them act like normal siblings, making me forget for a moment that they were actually vicious pirates with bounties in the millions.

_Anyway_ , it seemed like Brûlée liked my cooking! Watching her reminded me why I enjoyed cooking in the first place. The way she genuinely smiled and complimented my cooking brought back feelings I’d long forgotten.

I glanced at Mr. Katakuri, wondering if he had taken a sip of the tea yet. Sure, it was mainly for Brûlée, but I wanted to know if he liked it too. To no one’s surprise, his scarf was still covering his face and it seemed like he had yet to touch anything on the table.

_That damn scarf._  

"You can go." He told me flatly, finally reaching out for a dish.

Well, my work here was done. _And it went better than expected._ I smiled and bowed.“I will take my leave then, Young Master.” 

He froze at my words, hand half-extended towards the stack of cookies. Brûlée let out a muffled cough that sounded suspiciously like muffled laughter. 

_Hm?_

Mr. Katakuri turned to me slowly. “... What did you just say?”

_What?_ “Young ma-?”

“No.” He quickly cut me off, eyebrows furrowing.

_Um???_ Did he want me to call him something else too? “... Mr. Katakuri?” I tried again, unsure. I was only met with silence and what I assumed was an annoyed look. “Then, K-Katakuri?” At this rate, I was going to run out of things to call him.

“... You are dismissed.” His eyes flickered away from me, resuming his motions to grab the dessert. 

I bowed and quickly rushed out, assuming that was good enough. My heart was racing a mile a minute and my face was definitely red. I didn’t know why, but I was embarrassed out of my mind.

The doors behind me closed with a loud thud, echoing in the large hall. Covering my face with my hands, I sat down, overwhelmed by the heat in my face. Even though both  had asked me to call them by their given names, the contrast between the siblings was almost comical. I couldn’t help but smile, lost in my thoughts. _The Governor of Komugi island is surprisingly childish, huh?_

No no, I should stop that thought right there. He'd kill me if he could read my mind. I should head to the kitchen. Lots of work to do and all.

_Oh right._

In an instant, my happiness vanished as I remembered the mocking faces that were undoubtedly waiting for me inside the kitchen. They seemed to be actively hindering my tea making process earlier, and I could only imagine how much worse it would get. Still, there wasn’t much I could do but deal with it.

As long as I got to cook, I wouldn’t complain. After all, my only joy in life was cooking. If it were anything less, I wouldn't have the heart to keep going.

 

\------

 

"I really can't believe it." Brûlée took another sip of her tea. “Could it be the work of a devil fruit? Something like Streusen’s?” She hummed in wonder.

Katakuri had since tossed his scarf to the side, finally able to indulge in the tea and cookies. He shook his head. “I looked into that. Amaris has been living on Komugi Island her whole life. It would be impossible to even come across a devil fruit.”

Brûlée tilted her head. “Then-”

“No drugs, no hypnosis, no foul play involved. Strange isn’t it?” He sighed. Truth be told, he was actually very intrigued by Amaris’ response to Brûlée’s request. To think that she brought out something he would have never expected. It seemed like she was always prepared to surprise him. “On another island, she would have already been famous. I’m glad I found her before anyone else did.” He muttered the last bit under his breath, but Brûlée heard him.

A worried look graced her features. “You’re really not going to tell Mama about her?”

The thought seemed absurd to Katakuri. “Of course not.” He wouldn’t give her up so easily.

“I thought so. Probably best for now. Though watch out for Streusen, all the chefs report back to him.” Something in Brûlée wanted to look out for the young woman, especially seeing how jittery she was when presenting her tea to them. 

“I know.” Katakuri rubbed his head, tired. He was glad that he didn’t have any assignments for a while. He could finally catch up on some rest. But even still, he had things to take care of. 

“Well, it’s a shame I can’t stay longer. Thank you for the tea, Brother. I’ll visit again soon.”

Watching as Brûlée got up from her seat and made her way to a large mirror on the wall, he called out. “Brûlée-”

“Yes, yes, I’ll look into the matter we discussed. And no one will know of it, don’t worry.” And with that, she vanished into the mirror, leaving Katakuri alone with a table spread of extravagant desserts.

He frowned as his eyes fell on an empty plate that, until a few minutes ago, was occupied by a small pile of cookies. No wonder she was in a rush to leave.

_Brûlée stole the cookies._


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys omg hi!! It's been so long since the last update and I'm so sorry :( I had to get surgery in September, and then I was on bed rest for 2 weeks, and then I had midterms right after and then my sister had a baby!! So much shit happened yo. But anyways, I just wanted to say, thank you so much for all the comments and kudos!!! It really means a lot to me, but I'm shy and don't know how to react to attention LOL
> 
> But yeah, hope yall like the new chapter! :D

“Alright, and then we just let it sit in there for 15 minutes.” I closed the oven door with a satisfied smile.

“Are you sure we’re not missing anything?” Brenna asked, looking through the oven window in concern. “It seemed like just a normal cookie recipe.”

“Well, that’s how I usually make them.” I shrugged. Why add unnecessary ingredients when it already tasted pretty good? The only difference now was that I used gourmet chocolate chips rather than the cheapest kind. To be honest, I was very excited to try the expensive ingredients in the mansion’s storehouse. There were some that I had never even heard of before.

It had been nearly a week since I was officially hired at the mansion. As expected, the chefs took great pleasure in pushing all the handy work onto me. From mopping the floor and washing dishes to peeling potatoes and chopping the meat, there was nothing that the chefs didn't make me do. Well, besides cooking the actual meals. That was the one thing they were aggressively not letting me do.

I wasn’t dumb enough to fight back, as outnumbered and weak as I was, so I did the only other thing I could - I worked diligently. As exhausting as it was, I couldn’t help but feel proud that I actually survived a whole week with them breathing down my neck.

But among them, there was Brenna, a cheerful young woman with short pink hair, who took pity on me and introduced herself with a smile. She said she’d help me out when she could, which wasn’t often, but I appreciated that I wasn’t totally alone in the kitchen.

After eating my cookies on the first day, Katakuri requested I make them in addition to every tea time, much to my and the chefs’ horror. Curious about it, Brenna requested I teach her the recipe, but there really wasn’t much to teach. 

She still looked uncertain, but smiled anyways. “I can’t wait! You know, I still can’t believe _that_ Charlotte Katakuri picked you up from the streets.”

Gosh, even if she didn’t mean it, that really struck a sensitive nerve _._ “Well, my shop wasn’t doing well, but I wasn’t exactly-”

She interrupted me with a shrill laugh. “Right, right, whatever you say! It’s just so weird that he would hire a girl with no formal training. I mean, what’s with that? He has eleven of us and he still needed _you_?”

At least that was something we kind of agreed on. Thinking back to the day I met him, I couldn’t help but be thankful. Thoughts of the loan sharks resurfaced, and how I almost ended up with a fate worse than being homeless. It was a thought that never really left my mind. “Katakuri is a kind man.”

“What? Where did you get that dumb idea?” Brenna scrunched up her face in disgust.

Her sudden hostility took me aback. “W-What?”

Maybe I had just imagined it, because her sweet smile was back in a second. “Well, isn’t he kind of scary? H’s always glaring and I heard that he even kills people who see his face!”

Okay that was just crazy. “There’s no way-” I briefly recalled that Katakuri turned his back to me when trying my dessert for the first time. _...there might be some credibility to that rumor._ “Well, either way, as long as I’m being paid, things could be worse.” As far as I was concerned, having a steady income was proof of my dignity and pride as a human being.

She sighed, hands on her hips. “Well, I can understand why someone from your background is so swayed by money.”

_Did she just--_

I opened my mouth to ask her what that was supposed to mean, but a sudden beep caught my attention. I gasped.

“The cookies!” I rushed to open the oven door, thoughts of my gourmet chocolate chip cookies overtaking everything else. Pulling them out, I sighed in relief to see them alright. Actually, more than alright. They looked absolutely amazing. The power of a high end oven really was something else.

Setting the tray on the counter, I noticed Brenna setting her batch down too. In silence, we waited for them to cool down before picking one each and biting in.

“Oh my god.” I momentarily lost the ability to think of anything besides the cookie. The taste caressed my tongue gently, before the deep rich chocolate engulfed me entirely. It was like I was floating, tasting the very heavens. In the distance, I could hear the sound of delicate violins playing a melodic tune for my ears alone. I was on the verge of tears of joy when a voice broke me out of stupor.

“Hm, tastes like a normal cookie.”

I turned to see Brenna’s passive smile as she munched on her cookie. _You have to be kidding._

“I’m afraid they’re just nothing special.” She shrugged. “Unless yours turned out different?” She reached out and grabbed one from my batch.

I watched as she bit on it and her expression immediately changed to surprise.Swallowing her bite, she turned to me with anger blazing in her eyes. I expected her to start yelling, but instead she pulled out her sweetest smile yet.

“I understand now.” She suddenly dropped the cookie, letting it break into a few pieces when it hit the ground. My surprise didn’t end there though, because Brenna lifted her foot, and crushed the cookie under her heel, viciously grinding it into a pitiful pile of dust on the floor. Then, with a final smile dripping with a false pleasantry, she walked out of the room.

I could only watch after her, my eyes wide in shock. _What the hell just happened?_ I turned back to the cookies on the counter.

On the outside, they looked pretty similar, but…

Picking up one of Brenna’s cookies, I hesitated only for a second before taking a bite.

And… nothing.

It was, like Brenna said, just a well made cookie. 

We followed the same recipe. We used the same ingredients, literally from the same containers. Same measurements, same equipment, same kitchen.

So why did mine taste different?

 

\------

 

The thought ate away at me all night long, and when I woke up the next morning, I could feel my head pounding. All that thinking and I couldn’t come up with any explanation. At this point, it wasn’t something I could figure out on my own. Standing up, I came to a pause, remembering that it was the weekend - Katakuri had gone to attend the family meeting on the main island last night, and the mansion was currently empty.

_Well, time to wash up and make myself some food._

After what happened yesterday, the emptiness filling the kitchen felt unnerving.

It had been a while since I had time to myself like this. Even when I lived on my own, I usually spent weekends at the orphanage, cooking food for children who had lost their families. The family in charge of the orphanage helped me a lot when I lost my parents, and that was the only way I could repay them. Now that I was living so far away, going back and forth like I used to wasn’t possible anymore, and I couldn't help but miss them all.

I ate in silence, wondering how I’d find out what I was doing different, when the kitchen doors suddenly swung open and Brûlée entered with a big smile.

“Amaris! There you are!” She rushed up to me and hugged me from behind.

“Brûlée! What are you doing here?” Wasn’t she supposed to be at the family meeting? Either way, I was glad to see her and hugged her back. In the few days I had been working at the mansion, Brûlée had become a quick friend, visiting almost everyday to have tea with me.

“I missed you!!” She laughed, sitting down next to me and eyeing my food. “Any leftovers?”

“For you, always.” I smiled, handing her a plate. “But didn’t you eat at the meeting?” I imagined a meeting with Big Mom would feature _at least_ 500 servings of exotic food. _Damn, kinda want to be invited to one now._

“I didn’t really have an appetite.” Brûlée answered, before digging in.

_Eating with someone really does brighten up your mood._ I watched happily as she ate, glad that I wasn’t alone with my thoughts anymore. “So will Katakuri be coming back early too?” The idea made me nervous. We hadn’t had much interaction since my first day at the mansion, and after that talk with Brenna, I didn't know how I should behave around him.

“Probably not, at least not until later tonight. Big Brother’s in charge of many things, so Mama has more discuss with him.” There was a hint of bitterness in her words that told me there was more to it. She didn’t need to say it for me to understand. _Big Mom seems to have her favorites among her children._

“Well, I’m glad you’re here.” I smiled at her. And I sincerely meant it. Her expression lightened up as we kept talking.

Eventually, our conversation drew to a close as she got up, saying she had business to take care of.

“Oh right, before you leave, could you tell me how to get to a library from here?” I figured a library might have something related to my weird cooking. At least, it would be something productive to do rather than sitting around and moping.

Brûlée tilted her head in thought. “The library here didn’t have what you were looking for?” My expression must’ve given away the answer, because she laughed. “You didn’t know? It’s the room on the second floor with the giant double doors! I’m sure you’ll find what you need there.”

_Brûlée, my savior_. I hugged her in thanks and got ready to start my search.

 

\------

 

“Wait a minute.” I snapped out of my thoughts and stared at the book in my hands. “I can’t believe I got distracted!”

Somehow, after glancing at the title _The Lady and the Pirate_ , my curiosity got the best of me. I intended to only take a quick glance at it, maybe poke fun at it, but now I was nearly halfway through the book.

“I didn’t come here for this…” Begrudgingly, I put the novel back, and went back to my search. Still, how did such a romance novel intended for noble ladies with nothing better to do end up in Katakuri’s library?

_No, never mind, I don’t want to know._

Katakuri's library certainly was impressive, with all the walls and bookshelves lined up with books of all sizes, covering all kinds of topics. It was honestly overwhelming. There was a large mahogany table in the middle of the room, overflowing with stacks of papers and documents, with an equally large chair tucked into it. I steered clear of the table, not wanting to interfere with whatever Katakuri was doing.

I continued my search, hoping that I could find something that might be more useful. Somehow, I stumbled upon a section dedicated to cooking and food. I found numerous recipe books for every occasion one could think of, a compilation of ingredients from different seas, and even a directory listing off all the restaurants and cafes on Komugi Island, including someone’s notes on their favorite dishes from each establishment.

Well, Katakuri _is_ the governor, so the directory was justified. But the notes next to them? There was no way Katakuri had been to EVERY single eatery on Komugi Island right? I was surprised to find even small local stores written next to the big brand name ones.

_He… did he write about my shop too?_

I gulped nervously, flipping through the pages. On one hand, I wanted to know what his favorite dish of mine was, but on the other, I was scared for reasons I couldn't pin down. Finally my eyes landed on a familiar name.

_Hurst Bakery_ and my former address typed in neat letters. And beside it, in messy writing, was the word “ _Everything_ ”.

_Oh no._ I hid my face with the book in embarrassment. Of course. I mean, we were talking about the man who cleared my entire stock and was still ready to eat more. _This man really..._

Before I could continue that trail of thought, I heard the giant doors to the library suddenly swing open, followed by the sound of light footsteps. I immediately held my breath.

_A thief??_

I didn't know how valuable they were, but I definitely saw some important looking documents spread on the table. From where I was standing, I was hidden behind a bookshelf. If I could just tip toe around the corner and see who-

Oh.

I breathed out softly at the sight of a familiar leather jacket and fuchsia hair leaning over the table.

_It's Katakuri._

I should get out quickly before he notices me. I didn’t want to see him when my heart was still beating happily away over a single word. I quietly crept towards the door, careful to not make a sound.

Or at least, I did my best.

“You can stay.” Came Katakuri's smooth voice from the table. He seemed pretty immersed in the papers, so I thought he wouldn’t notice me, but of course he did. He didn’t even have to look up to know I was there. 

“T-Thank you.” I answered in a small voice, embarrassed.

“Just stay quiet.”

I nodded, realizing a second later that he still wasn’t looking at me. _Uh…_ Never mind, I’ll just go back to looking for a relevant book.

Still, I couldn't help but let my eyes wander to him occasionally. Needless to say, my search was long forgotten.

When I went to visit the library the next day, I noticed something different. There were now two chairs tucked into the table and the mess of papers that previously spread across it was now pushed to one side.

_Huh._


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy guys sorry this took so long. Finally had time to write after school ended
> 
> Quick Note; I make some speculations about Katakuri’s mochi powers. And his future-seeing powers are like, he has to concentrate to see the future rather than it being a passive thing. Hope that doesn’t bother anyone. And I’m tying in a few original plot elements in here, so hopefully it works lol   
> Again, thank you so much for the kudos and kind comments seriously, I’m so grateful yall are so sweet <3
> 
> Also Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas if you celebrate!! :D

Katakuri sat in his chair, letting out an exhausted sigh as he stared at the prepared documents in front of him. Brûlée had been thorough with her investigation while he was busy with missions, but her search had revealed nothing about the identity of the human traffickers on his island.

What it did reveal, however, was the presence of these traffickers scattered all over Totto Land. Brûlée insisted on getting the whole family involved, after all, it was something important, but Katakuri was against it. If Big Mom came to know that citizens whose lives she collected every year were being casually threatened like this, there was no telling what she would do. 

And so the best option was to resolve this situation as quickly and as quietly as possible. But how the hell would he do it? Brûlée's powers came in handy when gathering intel, but it had its limits.

He had gone to their assigned meeting place, hoping to find any leads, but they seemed to have rescheduled it because of his earlier intrusion. Which meant his identity had been revealed to them. It was also possible they were planning to get back at him for interfering. The fact that Amaris was the one who led him to them meant that she could be in danger too… He'd have to warn her.

To make matters worse, the Prince of Elbaf, Loki, had proposed to Lola, Katakuri's 23rd sister, and Big Mom had immediately announced a wedding celebration. Usually there would be at least a year of preparation, but this left them with barely three months to prepare for a party of literal giants.

 Suddenly Katakuri had a lot more on his plate than he could handle. As much as he agreed with getting the giants on their side as quickly as possible, it felt too rushed. Paired with his search for the human traffickers, and the other missions he was tasked with, it was all getting to him.

 

Deciding that he needed a break from all this work, Katakuri left the library and made his way to the kitchen. A midnight snack might help him power through the night.

Nearing the doors, Katakuri paused at the sound of an unexpected voice.

“Ugh, dammit!!”

He pushed the doors open to see Amaris frowning at a plate of some kind of food. A quick look around the room betrayed the mess she had caused, with dirty dishes piling the sink, and flour covering the counter tops.

Her hair was tied up to keep it out of the way, but there were streaks of flour coloring her hair despite her best efforts. He watched in amusement as she pulled out a pen and a notepad, jotting down notes to refine her recipe.

A new dish.

The thought excited him. The first time he tasted her cooking took him completely by surprise, and he knew that this would be no different.

“You’re up late.” He said, making his way to see exactly what she was working on. His eyes fell on a group of little spherical dumplings - at least, they looked like dumplings - sitting in batches of three on five different plates. Outwardly they didn’t look too different, but maybe they had different fillings? Maybe meat? Fish?

He was more in the mood to eat something sweet, but damn he could eat anything right now.

“Huh?” She seemed surprised to see him. “Oh, I swear I’ll clean up before the chefs get here tomorrow!”

Well, that wasn’t the issue. He just wanted to eat. “What is this?”

“ _ Something new I'm working on? They’re donut holes soaked in a syrup I’m making _ .” She said, sounding uncertain.

Or rather, she was about to say it, but Katakuri had already reached for one of the golden-brown dishes as soon as he foresaw her words. 

Donuts were his favorite. Usually he’d have the decency to let her speak, but now was not such a time.

“Something new I’m- Wait, it’s not-!!” Amaris watched in horror as Katakuri turned around and swallowed it whole.

It was good, he noted, maybe a bit soggy, but good. Rather than a sugary sweet syrup like last time, it seemed she had used a more honey-like mellow sweetness. Either way, it had him licking his fingers for the taste of the syrup.

“That one was over soaked…”

Turning back around, Amaris looked like her world was falling apart, clutching the sides of her head, staring at him with wide, scared eyes.

So that's how she got so much flour in her hair. Katakuri let out a small chuckle before his eyes fell on another plate. This one was deeper, darker brown compared to the rest and again, his curiosity got the best of him.

“No!” Amaris yelled as soon as he reached for it.

But it was too late, he was already turned away, munching on it.

This one was crispier and the syrup was barely a subtle hint of flavor. But still good.

From behind him, Amaris croaked out in a small voice. “That one was slightly burned…”

That explained the crunch. He turned back around to meet her shocked eyes. “They’re both good.”

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but he had no reason to lie to her. Defeated, she smiled, “Thank you,” After a beat of silence, she straightened her posture and eyed him warily. “Did you have some business in the kitchen? I won’t get in your way.”

Although her expression revealed her thoughts on his intrusion, Katakuri found her honesty rather refreshing.

“I was hungry.” was Katakuri’s simple answer. 

Her eyes immediately lit up at his words. “You should have said so! Sit down, I’ll get something started.” She rushed to clear up some space on the counters.

Katakuri was expecting to just pillage through the pantry for some leftovers, so hearing that was a welcome surprise. As much as he loved eating, he had never been one to cook. He sat down as she requested and watched her get to work while he finished the rest of her trial desserts.

“Actually, I had a question.” His silence was taken as an invitation to continue. “You can make mochi any time you want because of your devil fruit powers, so why don't you just eat that?”

Katakuri swallowed the last of the dumplings before answering her. “My mochi doesn’t have any nutritional value nor does it actually sate my hunger, so eating it is useless.”

“Oh. That explains a lot.” She continued cooking and a mouthwatering aroma filled the room. “So I was thinking. Devil fruits are technically food right?”

Katakuri resisted the urge to foresee her words. Where could she be going with that? “Yes?”

Amaris turned around to look at him, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “So I could cook with a devil fruit?”

“Don’t. They taste like shit.” Was his instinctive answer. Just thinking about it made him recoil in disgust. It was single handedly the worst experience of his life and he took solace in the fact that he would never have to taste it ever again.

Amaris burst out laughing at his reaction. “It can’t be that bad, right? What if I made some really good devil fruit pie?”

“Don’t.” He repeated, shaking his head in dismissal. Amaris really came up with some strange ideas.

“Well, that’s a shame. I thought about it a lot.” She sighed in disappointment but the smile never left her face.

This was the first time they had talked to this extent and Katakuri was surprised to find Amaris to be a decent conversation partner. Even among his siblings, not many spoke to him so comfortably. Like a friend.

“Here you go! It’s not much, but I put together some fried rice from the night’s leftovers.” She set down a large plate in front of him. “I know you prefer sweets, but it’s really late so I went for a healthier option.”

So she made food besides sweets? It would be interesting to see if they were up to par with the rest of her menu. Grabbing a spoon, Katakuri was about pull his scarf down when he suddenly remembered Amaris was still in the room. He let down his guard again. With an annoyed huff, he glanced up, only to realize she had turned her back to him, washing the dishes that had piled up while humming a soft tune.

Either she got lucky in her timing or she knew he didn’t show people his face. It reminded him of first time he made the dumb mistake of eating in front of her, and here he was, willingly doing it again.

Taking a look at the dish, he didn't know what to expect. Still, he was curious to see the extent of Amaris's talent. Just one bite gave him his answer. “I was right.”

“Yes?” Even at his words she didn’t turn around. 

“Everything you make is delicious.”

“O-oh, thank you.” her voice trailed off quietly at his compliment.

Once he finished his meal, Amaris reached over to grab his plate. Now was as good a time as ever to warn her. “Be watchful for anything suspicious.”

Amaris blinked slowly and Katakuri could practically see a question mark forming over her head.“Suspicious? Like what?”

He didn’t know that either. “Just be careful.”

“Okay.” She sounded uncertain, but agreed nonetheless.

It would be great if they didn’t come after her, yet he couldn’t rule out the possibility. He hoped, for her sake, that he was wrong. She looked like she could barely wield a knife to cut meat, let alone defend herself. 

 

And if he lost her, it would be quite upsetting.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Hi!! \\(◕ワ◕✿)/ sorry I've been gone for so long university's been killing me and i finally had time to finish this. It took a while to decide where I wanted to go with this story rip also my proofreader is getting married so she's been too busy to help me out, sorry if there's typos. Hope you guys like the update!! I've started writing the next chapter so hopefully that won't take as long to update (but no promises) !!
> 
> All my original characters in this got their names through a randomizer and damn, the childhood friend got a really cool name good for him
> 
> Also,, i don't know if there is public transportation on Komugi Island??? SO just pretend there is lol

Last week’s experiment was a total failure. First, Katakuri interrupted me in the middle so I couldn’t finish testing all the ratios I planned out. Second, before I could taste-test them all, he just went ahead and ate them. When I saw the empty plates I wanted to cry, but held it back through sheer will. At least he liked the taste, but I sadly made no progress with my recipe.

But today brought some good news! After my first month of working at Katakuri’s mansion, I finally received my first paycheck. And what better way to celebrate than visit the orphanage! The mansion was empty for the next two days anyways, so there was no point sticking around. More than that, I was tired of scouring the library for anything that could explain my cooking. So far, I had found nothing, and frankly, I needed a break.

The bus trip was uneventful, but once I was a street away from the orphanage, I paused and tilted my head. Weird. It felt like someone was following me.

Cautiously, I peeked over my shoulder, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The street was bustling with life, so it wasn’t unthinkable that someone looked at me, but it didn’t feel like a passive glance. More… Malicious?

Katakuri’s advice resurfaced in my mind. ‘ _ Be watchful for anything suspicious.’ _

 I laughed nervously, shaking my head.  _ Nope, just my imagination. Yep. _

Convincing myself that I was just on edge because of what he said, I continued down the street until the small white building came into sight. My heart filled with warmth at the sound of the childrens’ laughter from an open window.

I knocked and the door opened quicker than I expected.

“Amaris???” I was greeted by the bewildered face of Damarion, my childhood friend. 

“Hi! Did someone order some cookies?” I beamed at him, holding up the basket I was carrying.

He gaped at me for a second before pulling me into a big hug. “Holy shit, where have you been?”

His exclamation was followed by children peeking out of the door to see what the commotion was.

“Hey guys, miss me?” I waved at them as they joined into our hug.

Settling into the cozy little overcrowded playroom, we all shared the cookies as Damarian started scolding me.

“Look at you, get a fancy new job and now you’re too good to visit us?” He made a face at me.

I could only laugh. The strange feeling of being watched had gone now, so I could finally relax. I listened to Damarian go on, not really paying attention to his words, but just enjoying his protective tendencies. Sitting next to my friend, watching the children running around… I really missed this.

Damarian was the kind of guy who would help anyone, regardless if he was even in a position to. I admired him for his compassion, but I could never see myself doing the things he did. Still, he inspired me to do more good than I would on my own.

“So how’s Candy Heart District?” Damarian grinned at me, brown eyes shining excitedly.

“Huh?” I was shaken out of my thoughts.

“The place you’re working at. How’s the owner lady?”

Oh. Right. When I broke the news to him that I’d be moving away for work, I conveniently forgot to tell him it was at the residence of a notoriously dangerous pirate…

“She’s... Nice. Yeah, Ms. Jeanette is strict, but I enjoy working there.”

A warm smile spread across his face. “That’s good. I was really worried.”

“You worry too much! I can take care of myself!” I laughed nervously.

It wasn’t exactly a lie, but I couldn’t help feeling guilty. But telling him I was working for a top executive of the Big Mom crew was a bad idea for obvious reasons. Damarian’s overprotective tendencies would absolutely never let me work there and I desperately needed the money. The poor guy already had way too much on his hands running the orphanage on his own to have to worry about me.

  
  


After spending practically the whole day with them, it was soon time to say goodbye. I hugged the little ones and assured them I’d be back before long. Once they were satisfied, I pulled Damarian aside.

“Can we talk for a bit? Separately?” I whispered, nodding at the children.

While Damarian told the kids to behave, I headed outside and settled on the bench in the courtyard. When we were kids, Damarian’s mother, Mrs. Mercia, was in charge of the orphanage, and we’d visit all the time. I could still clearly remember the three of us sitting on this very bench.  _ Three, before Misael left. _ I should stop thinking about that. 

“What’s up?” Damarian sat beside me, eyes worried.

I pulled out a pouch and handed it to him. He raised an eyebrow, but when he opened it he sighed.

“Amaris-”

“No. Take it. You need it.  _ They  _ need it.” Considering the pouch held a percentage of my salary, his reaction was understandable, but I was insistent. This was the least I could do.

Eventually, he conceded, pocketing the pouch.

“How’s Mrs. Mercia?” I asked quietly.

Another sigh. “She’s stable for now. But some days, she has really bad attacks. It’s hard to see her like that.”

Ever since his father left, Damarian’s mother slowly fell into a cycle of depression and anxiety. It eventually got to the point where she couldn’t go out into public anymore. Damarian took over her work at the Orphanage, on top of supporting me emotionally and taking care of his mother. Although we were the same age, he always felt more like an older brother than a friend.

“Listen Amaris, I won’t ask what your job is. Just,” his eyes betrayed his concern “don’t do anything dangerous, okay?”

 He saw right through my lies. I should’ve known. “Yeah, I know. I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay.” He shifted awkwardly “Also, uh, the anniversary is coming up soon.”

I took a deep breath in. “Yeah.”

Sensing that I didn’t want to talk about it, Damarian gently placed a hand on my head and patted my hair softly. “I know you don’t want to believe it, but it’s been a year already. Misael deserves closure.”

“Yeah, you’re right. It’s just… it’s difficult.”

“I know.” He gave me a soft smile. “Maybe you should spend the day here. It would be a good distraction.”

“I-We’ll see.” I sat still for a second, not knowing what to say. “Well, I should head back!” I got up suddenly, not wanting to think about it anymore.

Damarian got up too, smiling as he pulled me into a hug. “Take care Amaris. And remember, no matter what happens, I’ll always be here for you.”

I smiled back. “I know.”

  
  
  


\----------

  
  


I should have known he would bring Misaela up. Walking back to the communal bus station, I found myself spacing out, trying to distract myself from thinking about him. Since the sun was setting soon, the streets had cleared up quite a lot. In fact, It felt like I was the only one walking down the deserted road.

A hand suddenly grabbed my shoulder, pulling me into a dark alleyway. I gasped, but before I could yell, a hand roughly covered my mouth.

_ The person watching me earlier- _ I was too careless. My breathing was shallow, I felt tears prick the corner of my eyes and my knees scraped against the rough surface as I was forced onto the ground against my will.

_ Shit shit shit shit.  _ I threw my purse on the ground, hoping that was all they were after. To my horror, they kicked the bag away with a laugh, instead grabbing my hands and pinning me to the grimy wall.

“We saw you leave the Katakuri mansion. What’s up with that?”

_ What??? Is that what this is about?? Katakuri’s warning. Fuck. _ “I-I’m just a cook.” I tried to stay calm, forcing myself to take even breaths. Even if I screamed, the streets were empty, no one would hear me. There was a pause after which my hands were suddenly free. Huh? Maybe he realizes that a poor cook’s life isn’t worth all this?

“Interesting. You got a reward for ratting us out, huh?” He said, as something cold and sharp was pressed against my neck. I spoke too soon.

_ What the hell is he talking about? _

 There was some rustling and then the familiar sound of a den den mushi ringing filled the alley, followed by a ‘gacha’ sound soon after. After some muffled talking in a language I couldn’t understand, the man started talking to me again.

“It’s your lucky day, sweetheart. We’ll let you live if you keep working at the Katakuri Mansion while reporting to us.”

_ Excuse me?  _ I almost immediately retorted with a ‘fuck off’, but I held my tongue. “Please, I’ll do anything.” Of course, my priority was to stay alive. It would be best to just go along with him for now until Katakuri could take care of this.

The man laughed, pulling the knife away. “Great! I don’t think I have to warn you to not tell anyone about this conversation?”

_ Yeah as if _ . I rubbed my neck as I cautiously looked over my shoulder to see just who the hell this guy was.

“But I’ll warn you anyways.” To my horror, it was the familiar face of the loan shark I had paid off my debts to barely a month ago. From his bright red hair to his sharp eyes, there was no mistaking it. I thought I had cleaned my hands of these guys, but apparently I was wrong. “Tell a soul about this, and that orphanage you like so much won’t exist anymore.”

My breath caught in my throat, and my stomach churned as I felt a bitter taste in my mouth. “No, please, they have nothing to do with this.”  I answered in a shaky voice, despite my better judgement. I couldn’t risk hurting them if I tried to play ignorant.

“That depends on you now, doesn’t it?” He grinned at me, sharp yellow teeth provoking me.

I had never wanted to punch someone this bad in my entire life. But the thought of Damarian and the children being in danger rendered me immobile. I clenched my fists and took a deep breath, making sure to glare up at him. “I understand.”

His sharp eyes seemed to enjoy having me at his mercy. “I’m glad we could reach an understanding.”

It happened so fast, it was hard to believe it wasn’t a hallucination. But as I sat in the empty alleyway trying to calm my racing heart and regain feeling in my legs, the wound on my neck reminded me just how real this was.

They wanted me to spy on Katakuri. Or else, everyone I’ve ever cared about would die.

It wasn’t hard deciding what was more important, but a strange sense of guilt washed over me.

The question was, why? Sure, there were advantages to knowing what a top executive of the Big Mom pirates was up to, but I couldn’t imagine what a loan shark had to do with that.

By the time I finally got back to the Katakuri mansion, lost in my thoughts, I could finally feel my hands again. I had planned to continue my research, but after bandaging up my wound, I didn’t have the strength to think anymore.

The empty mansion felt unnervingly quiet. Thoughts of the encounter filled my head. I could still feel the sharp edge of the knife cutting into my skin. I went to the kitchen, and began cooking. It didn’t matter what, I just needed something else to focus on, and sitting around wallowing in my misfortune wouldn’t help anyone.

The doors to the kitchen suddenly opened, startling me out of my thoughts. I gulped nervously, the wound on my neck suddenly aching. It wasn’t them, right?

“Couldn’t sleep?”

It was Katakuri, standing near the entrance. The sight of him calmed my racing heart almost instantly. “Yeah.”  I answered softly. I really shouldn’t have been this happy to see the pirate I was supposed to betray, but here I was. Relieved that I wasn’t alone anymore.

“You look pale. What’s wrong?”

 I stared at him, suddenly remembering how he seemed to read my mind yesterday. _Shit._ _Did he find out already?_

Katakuri glanced around at the plates of food piling the counters and narrowed his eyes at me.  _ I’m dead- _

“When’s the last time you ate?”

“No- oh, um, I mean, this afternoon?” In my confusion I answered him immediately. Wait, for all the cooking I was doing, I couldn’t actually remember the last time I ate a proper meal today. Wait, how much time had passed??

He sighed. “I thought so. It’s late. You should eat something and get some sleep.”

Oh. So he couldn’t read minds then? Well that’s good. I watched as he sat at the table. “What are you doing?”

“Apparently I can’t even trust my chef to feed herself. Grab a plate and come.”

I froze where I was, staring at him, before following his directions, somehow comforted by his blunt words.

Once I was seated with a plate of warm food in front of me, I expected he would leave, but instead he watched as I ate.

“What happened to your neck?”

I nearly choked on my first bite. Swallowing it down carefully, I answered with what I hoped was a believable smile. “I tripped.” How I'd get a neck injury by tripping, I had no idea, but it was the best I could come up with.

“If you ate properly, you wouldn't get hurt by just falling.”

... He believed that? Katakuri is pretty simple, huh? I held back a laugh. For as terrifying as he was, he also had his cute moments.

Should I just tell him everything?

No. I still don’t know what that guy is after, or what they could do to harm the Orphanage. At this point in time, telling Katakuri what happened was dangerous. But the second I could guarantee Damrian and the children’s safety, or at least until I could figure out their goal, I would explain everything to him. I didn't expect total forgiveness, but I knew my priorities. After all, how evil could a person who cares about his employees health be, right?

“What are you thinking about?”

 I grinned. “I just renewed my resolve.”

“To eat more?” Katakuri raised an eyebrow. 

“...Yeah!”

Maybe it was just my imagination, but I could’ve sworn I heard a laugh. Hopefully, I wasn’t making a decision I would regret.


End file.
